Crevasse-closer



(N0 MOdel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

M. ALASKA. GREVASSE CLOSER. No. 526 ,S 9 7 Patented Oct. 2, 1894.

- A TTOHNE YS.

W/ TN E SSE (No Model.)

n E@ W Y 2 sheets-sheet 2. M. A. LASKA.

GREY/'ASSE GLOSBR.

' atented o W/ATNESSES:

ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES' PATENT OFFICE.

MATHIAS A. vLASKA, `OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

cREvAssE-cLosER.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 526,976, dated October 2, 1894.

Applioationiled January 4, 1894. Serial No. 495,664. (Nomodel.) l I 'To a/ZZ whom t may concern.-

Beit known that I, MATHIAS A. LAsKA, of

NewOrleans, in the parish of Orleansand State of Louisiana, have invented a new and Improved Crevasse-Closer, of which the following the posts down into the water and hold andA guide the same in position, to permit of propprovement.

.erly driving the posts into the ground from above.

The invention further consists of a skeleton frame adapted to pass between adjacent posts, and provided with cross bars projecting at vtheir ends to rest on the front faces of the` posts, soas to hold the frame in place.

. The invention also consists of certain parts and details, andt combinations of thefsame, as will be hereinafter described and ,then pointed out in the claims. A y

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is aperspective view of the imone of the skeleton frames. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the improvement. ,Fig; 4 is posts. Fig. 6 is a like view of the device for holding thegrooved boards in position whileA Fig. 7 is a per-I spective view of the pivotal end of the arm Fig. 8 is a plan view of the front end of thelsaid arm; and Fig. 9 is a-perspective View of 'l push the fork end of the corresponding brace driving the same in place.

the lower forked end of one of the braces.

The improved crevasse closer as illustrated in Fig. l is provided with a skeleton A,. formed at kits front end with `a platform B;

having side railings B. This skeleton A is Fig. 2 is a perspective view ofv the said skeleton is moved along as the crev asse closer is constructed, until the latter is finally completed and extends from one side of thebreak to the other, so as to again form an uninterrupted dam.

As illustratedin Fig. 1, the crevasse closer C, is partly constructed from one side of the break, and the said crevassecloser is provided with main posts D, arranged in alignment with each other from one side of the break to the other, each of the said main posts being composed preferably of a number of posts, as hereinafter more fully described.

Between the main posts D are driven intermediate posts E, and opposite the main posts D and intermediate posts E are driven rear or back posts F and F', respectively, as plainly illustrated in Fig. l. Now, between each corresponding'set of posts D, F andE, F', is

driven a post G, and the lower ends of the' rear posts F and F are connected with the upper ends of the corresponding front posts D and .E respectively, by diagonal braces H, similar braces H connecting the posts G with their corresponding front posts D and E.

The upper ends of the sets of posts D, F, G and E, F', G, are connected with each other bytransverse beams I, forming a resting place for the skeleton A, so that the front platform B of the said skeleton always projects beyond the last set of driven posts. f

In orderto hold the braces in position, I provide the lower end of each brace H with a fork H2, straddling the lower endof the corresponding post For F' and restingon across bar F2, secured to the inner face of the correspondingfpost. The inner brace H is likewise formed with a fork 113 straddling the kpost G and seated on a cross bar G', as plainly shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

. In order to convenientlyplace the braces H l l and H in position I employ arod H4, adapted to engagethe forked end H2 or H3 of the respective brace, the said rod being manipulated by the operator standing on the platform B to 4platform B. Eachof the main posts D is provided with a central post D', carrying lU- ICO shaped guides-D2 and D3, adapted to receive the posts D4, D5, on opposite sides ofthe central post D. Thus each main post D is composed of a central post D and the two side posts D4 and D5. Now,'in order to guide the posts down into the water and to hold the same in position in the strong current passing through the break in the dam, the following device is provided to permit of driving the posts solidly into the ground without danger of the current sweeping the post out of its firm position. 'Ihisguiding` device for the posts is provided with anarm J, plainly shown in Figs. 1, 7 and 8 and provided, at or near its middle, with an upwardly-extending -handle J adapted to be taken hold of by the operator standing on the skeleton A,to lower or raise thesaid arm outside ofthe front row of posts D and E,as will be readily understood by i reference to Fig. 1. The rear end of the arm J forms a fulcrunr to permit thesaid arm to swing up and down forloweringthe posts as hereinafter more fully described. `'lhisfulcrum end of the arrn J is providedwiith two lugs J 2 and J 3, formed at their opposing ends with knife edges adapted to engagea post K, temporarily driven into the ground in fron-t of -a post E, the said lugs resting' with the' end of the arm J on 21j-transversely extending arm K', secured to the post 0n the fnlcrnm end of the arm J is also secured an: upwardlyextending arm J4, provided at its upper' end with an arm J5, abutting against the under side of a rope J 5, connecting the upper end of the post K with the' upper end of the corresponding post E, so as to temporarily' hold the said arm J 5 in place to prevent the fulcrum end of the arm Jfrom moving upwardv on the post K. On the forward end of the arm J is pivoted a bolt N, adapted to pass through an aperture in the lower end of the central post D to be first put down into the ground, the connection between the forward end of the said arm J, its bolt Nand the post D being made on theI platform B. After the bolt N is inserted in this central post D', a key N is dropped into an opening in the outer end of the said bolt at the rear of the post D', so 'as to prevent an accidental disengagement of the bolt and the post D. The key N is Ahung on a rope N2, attached at its free end to the front railing B of the platform B. See Fig. l. Now, when the arm J is used, then the rear` or fulcrum end up to and slightly beyond the arm J rests against the sets ofl upward, then the operator, by manipulating the arm J can swing the arm J downwardso that the latter carries the post D down with it into the rushing water until the lower end of the post engages the ground, it being understood that the upper end of the said post is guided by the operator on the front beam of the platform B. A rope D6 attached to the upper end of this post D' enables the operator to temporarily fasten the post in place when ever necessary.'

Now, after the post has been guided down to the ground, as described, then a suitable pile driver of any approved construction is employed to sink the post D in, the ground. As soon, however as the lower end of the post has been -driven a short distance into the ground, then the operator withdraws the key N by pulling on the rope N2, and then manipulates the arin J so as to swing the arm J outward to withdraw the bolt N from the post D. The latter is then further driven by the pile driver Vuntil it is firmly embedded in the ground. Theoperator next slips the side posts Dtand D5 down the sides of the post D and drives the same down into the ground by the use of the pile driver, the said side posts being properly guided by the gluideways D3 and D2. The back or rear posts F, F and G, are also guided downward by the arm J, and for this purpose I provide the free end of the arm J with staples J7, see Fig. i3;` of which the outermost' two staples are engaged by hooks O, O', connected by ropes O2 and O5 with a bolt N3 similar in construction to the bolt N above mentioned, and adapted to engage an aperture' in the lower end of one of the back posts F orF. See Fig. 4. The outer end of the bolt N8 is adapted to be engaged by a key N4 so as to lock the said bolt in position on the said corresponding post, the said key being held on` ay rope N5 extending upward and adapted to be fastened on the rear railing B". The ropes O2 and O3`diverge from the bolt N 3 tothe hooks 0 and O', as plainly shown in Fig. 1, and a similar bolt N6 is employed for the post G, the said bolt being connected by diverging ropes O4 and O5 with the hooks O and O5 respectively, hung on the staples J7. This bolt N5 is alsoy provided with a key and rope N7 for locking the bolt in' place and unlocking the same after the corresponding posts have been driven into the ground, the short distance to get suiicient hold to withstand the force of the current.

It is understood that the bolts N3 and N are attached to the posts F, F and G, at the time the arm J is in an uppermost position, the said attachment being made by the operator standing on the platform B. The arm J is then swung downward so as to guide the posts in a like direction andto hold the saine in position against the current until the posts are driven into the ground, after which the posts are released by disconnecting the bolts from the posts in a similar manner as .the bolt N is disconnected from the'post D above described. The posts are then driven firmly into the ground bythe pile driver, after which the braces H and H are put in position together with the transverse beams I'to con- 'LIO neet the sets of posts with each other. this is accomplished the set of posts D and D are connected with each other by an auxiliary frame P, shown in detail in Fig. 2, and comprising two vertical posts P and l?2 connected with each other. by a series of longitudinal beams P3. The ends of the latter project beyond the posts P and P2 and are adapted to rest against the front faces of the'l see Fig. 1;-so that when a board is driven down into the ground, the lower bevel end has the tendency to force itself to one side so as to make a tight joint ofthe tongue and groove. y

In order to hold the upper end of the board driven down in position against one previously placed, I provide a holder R shown in Fig. 6, the said holder comprising an arm R having lan angular foot R2 from which extends the curved arm R3 provided at its lower end with a prong R4 adapted to rest on one of the longitudinal beams P5` of the auxiliary frame P. In the foot R2 is pivoted a block R5 adapted to engage the outer end of the board to be driven so as to hold the upper end of the board in engagement with the one already driven, during the time of forcing the last board down into the ground. After the board is in position it is nailed to the longitudinal beams P3.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentf 1. A crevasse closer, comprising an arm adapted for pivotal connection with one of the posts already driven, and for detachable connection with one of the loose posts to be driven, so as to guide the loosepost relatively y to the fixed post, as and for the purpose set forth.

Y 2. A crevasse closer,'comprising a series of front posts, auxiliary frames adapted to be set between two adjacent posts and having longitudinal beams fastened to the said posts, and boards adapted to be nailed to the auxiliary frames to form a solid wall across After the crevasse, substantially as shown and described.

3. A crevasse closer, comprisinga series of front posts, auxiliary frames adapted to be set between the adjacent posts and having longitudinal beams fastened to the said posts, boards adapted to be nailed to the auxiliary frames to form a solid wall across the crevasse, back posts, braces connecting the said posts with the said front posts, and transverse beams for connecting the upper ends of the said front and back posts with each other, substantially as shown and described.

'4. A crevasse closer, provided'with an arm mounted to swing, and a bolt hung on the said arm and adapted to engage an aperture in the post to be driven, substantially. as shown and described.

5. A crevasse closer, provided with an arm mounted to swing, a bolt hung on the said arm and adapted to engage an aperture in the post to be driven, and means, substan-l tially as described, for locking the said bolt in position on the post, as set forth.

6. A crevasse closer, comprising an arm mounted to swing, ropes connected with the said arm,and a bolt carried by the said ropes and adapted to engage a back post to guide the latter downward into the current, substantially as shown and described.

7. A crevasse closer, comprising an arm mounted to swing, ropes connected with the said arm, a bolt carried by the said lropes and adapted to engagea back post to guide the latter downward into the current, and means, substantially as described, for locking the said bolt in place on the post, as set forth.

8. A crevasse closer, provided with a main post, comprising a central post side posts adapted to be driven alongside the said central post, and guideways secured to the central post and adapted to embrace the side posts, substantially as shown and described.

9. A crevasse closer, provided with an arm having a manipulating handle and a fulcru m, a post having a transverse arm forming a rest for the said fulcrum, and a second arm held on the fulcrum end of the said first named arm and adapted to be held temporarily in place'on the-said post, substantially as shown and described.

MATHIAS A. LASKA.

Witnesses:

ALF. S. DU-FossAT, M. C. SoNIA'r.

IOC 

